Idasa Maria Cobb resigns, is charged

An Upstate principal has resigned after being charged with failure to report child abuse, according to Oconee County School District superintendent Mike Lucas.

According to an incident report, on March 28, a phone call was made to Idasa Maria Cobb, the principal at Blue Ridge Elementary School, reporting that a student had been sexually assaulted.

The report said Cobb was in a meeting with two assistant principals at the time of the call and advised them of what was going on and said she would take care of it.

Cobb told the guidance counselors at the school about the incident and they interviewed the child on March 31, the report said.

According to the report, neither law enforcement nor Department of Social Services was notified until April 1.

The report said the DSS was contacted by the guidance counselors on April 1.

The sexual assault is being investigated by the Oconee County Sheriff’s Office, the report said.

Cobb was charged with failure of certain persons required to report.

Lucas said Cobb was placed on administrative, with pay, and then submitted her resignation.

He said Kathy Eichler, who previously served as principal of Blue Ridge and Code Elementary Schools, will serve as interim principal at this time.

Several parents and grandparents of students at the school say they report Cobb.

Grandparent Cathy Burdette said, “I just hope they give her a clean slate. Take it off. Let her start all over again because she is a good principal and she does a good job and she really does care about these kids.”

Many people have questioned why other school staff members who knew about the abuse weren't arrested also. WYFF News 4’s Mandy Gaither asked that question to Seneca police Chief John Covington and he said that Cobb was the principal and the ultimate authority, and he says when the report came in Cobb told her staff that she would take care of it.

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CENTER AWAITING A BOND HEARING. AN UPSTATE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IS OUT OF JAIL...AND OUT OF A JOB TONIGHT. SHE RESIGNING ... AFTER BEING ARRESTED... WYFF NEWS 4'S MANDY GAITHER IS LIVE AND LOCAL IN OUR ANDERSON NEWSROOM... MANDY...POLICE SAY SHE FAILED TO REPORT AN ALLEGATION OF ABUSE. RIGHT...HERE'S THE TIMELINE... ON FRIDAY MARCH 28TH AROUND 4-PM...POLICE SAY IDASA COBB FIRST GOT A CALL ABOUT ONE OF HER STUDENTS SUFFERING SEXUAL ABUSE WHEN THAT CHILD WAS NOT AT SCHOOL. IT WAS MONDAY WHEN GUIDANCE COUNSELORS INTERVIEWED THE CHILD. ON TUESDAY THOSE COUNSELORS NOTIFIED D-S-S ...OFFICIALS THERE TOLD THEM TO CALL POLICE... IT WASN'T UNTIL 4-PM ON TUESDAY THAT SENECA POLICE OFFICERS WERE NOTIFIED... THAT'S FOUR DAYS AFTER THE REPORT CAME IN. FROM THE OUTSIDE...EVERYTHING AT BLUE RIDGE ELEMENTARY...LOOKS LIKE BUSINESS AS USUAL... BUT INSIDE THIS SENECA SCHOOL...THERE'S A SHAKEUP IN THE ADMINISTRATION... AFTER PRINCIPAL IDASA COBB RESIGNED...FOLLOWING HER ARREST... I don't know it's kind of a mixed feelings PARENTS OF STUDENTS GOT A RECORDED MESSAGE INFORMING THEM OF THE RESIGNATION. COBB IS CHARGED WITH FAILURE OF CERTAIN PERSONS REQUIRED TO REPORT. AFTER POLICE SAY IT TOOK COBB 4 DAYS TO TELL THEM ABOUT AN ALLEGATION THAT ONE OF HER STUDENTS WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED OFF CAMPUS. MANY PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS OF STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL SAY THEY SUPPORT COBB. they should at least give her an opportunity you never know it might have been not true IN A STATEMENT...OCONEE COUNTY SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT MICHAEL LUCAS SAID QUOTE, "THE ALLEGATIONS OF CHILD ABUSE DO NOT INVOLVE A DISTRICT EMPLOYEE AND THEY ARE NOT ALLEGED TO HAVE OCCURRED AT SCHOOL. THE DISTRICT IS FULLY COOPERATING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT IN ITS INVESTIGATION AND CANNOT COMMENT FURTHER GIVEN THE ONGOING INVESTIGATION..." LUCAS ALSO CITED THE DISTRICT'S POLICY IN REGARDS TO THIS CASE... IT SAYS WHEN A PRINCIPAL OR STAFF MEMBER HAVE REASON TO BELIEVE THAT A CHILD MAY BE ABUSED OR NEGLECTED...THEY "MUST REPORT SUCH A SITUATION." SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE QUESTIONED WHY OTHER SCHOOL STAFF MEMBERS WHO KNEW ABOUT THE ABUSE WEREN'T ARRESTED ALSO. I ASKED THAT QUESTION TO SENECA POLICE CHIEF JOHN COVINGTON AND HE TOLD ME THAT COBB WAS THE PRINCIPAL AND THE ULTIMATE AUTHORITY...AND HE SAYS WHEN THE REPORT CAME IN COBB TOLD HER STAFF THAT SHE WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. MANDY GAITHER WYFF NEWS 4 LIVE IN THE ANDERSON NEWSROOM.